Travel Channel expands scope with 6 new skeins

Shows focus on gem and relic hunters, foodie finds and burgers

Travel Channel unleashed a slew of primetime greenlights Tuesday, giving the go-ahead to six new reality shows.

Cabler ordered six half-hour episodes of “All Forked Up” from O’Malley Prods. Skein features Al Mancini and John Curtas, Las Vegas food critics with polar opposite tastes. Pair venture to a new city each week to force each other into a wild food find. Julie McCully is exec producer.

“Burger Land,” from Magilla Entertainment, follows George Motz, author of “Hamburger America,” as he visits some of the nation’s best and oldest burger spots. Travel ordered eleven half-hour episodes. McCully will exec produce.

“Digfellas” and “Fortune Diggers” both received six half-hour episode orders. “Digfellas,” from Kinetic Entertainment, center on relic hunters Bill Ladd and Howard Hewitt as they excavate items from history-rich locations. “Fortune Diggers,” from Sharp Entertainment, follows three teams as they compete and dig for valuable artifacts across the nation. Sean McKnight will exec produce both shows.

Travel has ordered seven hourlong episodes of “Gem Hunt” from NHNZ with David E. Gerber exec producing. Series focuses on the world’s gem trade and follows gem dealer Ron LeBlanc, geologist Bernie Gaboury and jewelry expert Diane Robinson as they travel to remote areas of the world to find gemstones that fetch sky-high prices on the jewel market.

“Our 2013 series demonstrate the expansive directions we are taking travel entertainment,” said Andy Singer, g.m. of Travel Channel. “We’re actively developing in our category with unique and fresh ways that are resonating with our audience and attracting new, entertaining talent who offer expertise in their spaces.”